National Highways will be closing the M4 overnight in both directions between Junction 18 (Bath) and Junction 19 (M32) from 5th to 10th January as work on the replacement A432 Badminton Road Bridge continues.
A CGI image of how the new bridge over the M4 will look | Image © Highways England
The 8pm to 6am closure is needed so that work can be carried out on the sides of the new bridge that is taking shape.
Used by around 16,000 vehicles a day, the old overbridge linking Bristol and Yate was closed to traffic in the summer of 2023 after extensive cracking was discovered.
The bridge was demolished in March 2025 and the new bridge is due to open in early 2026.
At 46.5 metres in length and 20 metres wide, it will span eight lanes of motorway but will be slightly wider to ensure the lanes and pavements are wide enough to meet today’s safety standards.
The barriers along the sides will be higher, making it safer for people walking and cycling.
As with previous motorway closures as part of this project, people are advised to plan their journeys to avoid delays, and to follow the signed diversion route and not satnavs.
If you’re travelling westbound:
- Leave at M4 Junction 18 and join the A46 towards Bath
- Take the A420 towards Warmley at the A46/A420 junction past Pennsylvania
- Join the A4174 towards the M32 at the A420/A4174 junction in Warmley
- Connect to the M4 at Junction 19 via M32 Junction 1.
Drivers travelling eastbound can follow the same diversion in the opposite direction.
The cost of the new bridge has yet to be confirmed.
